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A collection of resources to help you navigate the care continuum.

Alzheimer's disease has become one of the biggest public health crises in the U.S., especially over the past few decades.

Alzheimer's disease has become one of the biggest public health crises in the U.S., especially over the past few decades.

According to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention, more than 50 percent of nursing home residents who used long-term care services were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, and it is currently the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. Although these statistics are alarming, they only tell one part of the story when it comes to this condition. The Alzheimer's Association also says that 47 million people are currently living with Alzheimer's or other dementias worldwide, affecting people from all walks of life.

Alzheimer's at a glance
This disease doesn't just affect those who are afflicted, but it also impacts whole families and communities. Support from caregivers, friends and family members is absolutely crucial for patients who are trying to battle Alzheimer's, so it is important to understand the behaviors and challenges.

Alzheimer's goes through three general stages: all with mild, moderate and severe cognitive decline, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The progression of these stages depends on the person, but the disease can last anywhere from four to 20 years.

Cognitive decline can also afflict individuals in different ways, but some of the more common ones include difficulties communicating during work or social interactions, losing valuable objects, trouble remembering names, speech pattern decline, and the inability to plan or organize daily tasks. Eventually these symptoms can progress into more debilitating symptoms, such as forgetfulness about personal history, personality changes and physical problems as well.

Searching for breakthroughs in Alzheimer's
Breakthroughs in science are also needed now more than ever to stop this disease from progressing. As Forbes recently pointed out, a promising new drug, solanezumab, did not pass late-stage clinical trials with Alzheimer's patients, meaning that many researchers are going back to the drawing board and looking for a more practical approach to conquer the disease.

However, there are some glimmers of hope. Fortunately, many researchers and policymakers have recently made Alzheimer's a priority. According to the Alzheimer's Association, the House Appropriations Committee approved an additional $350 million to go toward Alzheimer's research this past summer after pressure from more than a thousand Alzheimer's advocates who expressed their concerns.

No matter what happens in the future with Alzheimer's, it's clear that a combination of medical innovation and informed policy decisions are needed in order to give families, caregivers and patients the resources they need to meet the immense challenges of this condition moving forward.

Raising awareness
As Alzheimer's continues to affect more people in the U.S., various awareness efforts have taken place across the country. Many people have joined in Alzheimer's Awareness marches, worn purple during Alzheimer's Awareness Month and shared their stories on social media with hashtags like #ENDALZ or #IGoPurpleFor in order to shine the spotlight on the disease and research efforts. Many celebrities have also shared their support and personal stories about the fight against Alzheimer's, including comedian Seth Rogen, the cast of "The Big Bang Theory," athlete Tony Hawk, musician Grace Potter and fashion expert Nina Garcia.

Carelike differentiates from its competitors by giving care seekers access and transparency to all providers in their area, not just those who pay for a profile. Carelike displays all available information, truly giving families the power of choice and the ability to make informed decisions.

ATLANTA, GA. (November 15, 2016) -- As many Americans (especially baby boomers) are discovering, finding the perfect care service for a senior loved one is challenging. Per data from a 2015 AARP report, approximately 43.5 million adults provided unpaid elder care, mainly to relatives. This number only stands to grow as baby boomers age, and Carelike has come up with a solution.

With most senior-placement companies, care seekers use online or call-in services to find an assisted living community or home health aide for their loved one. However, they only get information from a small, select number of providers who have a contract to be listed on that referral company's website. This means care seekers miss out on many providers who might more closely fit their needs, have more esteemed credentials or elicited better patient reviews.

The senior care referral industry has been around for years, and so has Carelike (previously SNAPforSeniors). The organization is well-connected and has the experience and expertise required to drive a much-needed change to the industry. Their business model has always put the care-seeker first. Everyone who is a licensed senior care professional - not just those who "pay to play" - shows up in Carelike's comprehensive database of providers. This is because Carelike pulls from 400 different sources to gather data on senior and post-acute care providers. The organization then goes to great lengths to clean, filter and augment the data to give care seekers the most up-to-date and accurate picture of each provider.

This methodology has made Carelike the preferred partner for organizations who help consumers find care, which include renowned health organizations, health insurance companies, care management companies, EAPs and patient advocacy groups, including the Alzheimer's Association.

If you haven't heard of Carelike, it may be because the company has always worked behind the scenes providing well-known, reputable organizations with data. Now that this company aims to appeal to consumer care seekers, Carelike will share providers' information with not only organizations who license the data but with family members looking for senior services through their new consumer search site.

Carelike is the only online senior listing company that provides that type of exposure for providers - to both consumers and professional care-seekers at organizations who license the data. Meanwhile, Carelike differentiates from its competitors by giving care seekers access and transparency to all providers in their area, not just those who pay for a profile. Carelike displays all available information, truly giving families the power of choice and the ability to make informed decisions. Discover the possibilities for yourself at CareLike.com.

Learn more about what you can expect if your senior parent was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Having older parents means your family's life is full of changes. From shifting dynamics of responsibility to relocating homes, transition simply comes with time, and health is no exception. Alzheimer's disease, a condition marked by memory and thinking impairments, predominantly affects seniors. According to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, approximately 5.1 million Americans have this disease, and a person's risk increases with age. If a doctor has diagnosed your loved one with Alzheimer's disease, here's what you can expect:

You'll see more changes down the road
As the Alzheimer's Association explained, this condition is progressive, meaning it gets worse with time. How quickly this occurs varies on an individual basis. Post-diagnosis life spans range anywhere from four to 20 years, which creates a lot of uncertainty. Your parent's doctor can provide more insight into his or her unique condition.

Your parent's memory won't be what it once was
According to the Mayo Clinic, those with mild dementia as a result of Alzheimer's disease often forget things they just learned. For example, your loved one may repeat questions because he or she forgot your original answer. Memory gaps may also cause the senior to lose things - you may spend a few extra minutes looking for his or her wallet before leaving the house, or you'll find the TV remote in another room.

You know how frustrating it is to misplace something, so it's important to remain patient and help the senior search for lost items. Additionally, when it's especially important they remember information - like details from a doctor - ask if you can accompany your parent to the appointment so that you can take notes.

Help your senior parent by showing love and support.

Home management will become more challenging
In addition to memory loss, dementia can also lead to poor decision making. As Reader's Digest explained, the cognitive decline can make it difficult for your parent to manage his or her finances and pay bills. You certainly wouldn't want to see your loved one's water or electricity turned off because of a missed payment, so consider lending a hand with these tasks.

Day-to-day duties may also become more difficult. For instance, your parent may select a winter coat to wear when it's 80 degrees outsides. In these cases, you may benefit from hiring a home health aide to assist with responsibilities like dressing and running errands. Even if the senior can still care for him or herself with eating and bathing, for instance, you can hire someone to drive your parent places, pick up groceries or let the dog out, among other tasks.

Seniors may forget to pick up milk at the grocery store or to return your phone call, but serious memory problems are not a normal part of aging. If you suspect your older loved one has dementia, speak with his or her doctor. Additionally, remember that an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis is an adjustment for everyone. Your parent is likely going through an array of emotions knowing he or she has this condition, and it's important to show love and support.

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. The Longest Day is a peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising campaign sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association to raise money for care, support, research, awareness, and advocacy of the disease.

How are you going to spend the longest day of the year this year? The 21st of June falls on a Saturday so that makes it perfect for doing all kinds of things like hiking, gardening, cycling, playing games, cooking and eating, and it’s even more fun with friends.

The Longest Day is a peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising campaign sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association to raise money for care, support, research, awareness, and advocacy of the disease. This is the third year of the creative charity event where participants are free to do whatever activity they want to do, from sunrise to sunset, and thereby raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease.

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. In the southern hemisphere it is celebrated as the first day of summer, which occurs in late December. In the northern hemisphere, the longest day falls in late June.

The Longest Day event challenges participants to raise at least $100 per hour during the day. While that may seem daunting for an individual to keep going for sixteen hours, teams can tackle the task by dividing the day into segments and having each team member cover a portion.

Once registered, the Alzheimer’s Association provides a kit of materials (t-shirt, purple glow stick, information, etc.) and access to a full suite of social media tools on a dedicated portal (thelongestday.org). The site lets users set up Web pages for themselves or their teams, offers content for email campaigns, posters to print, Facebook tools, and even suggested tweets.

The Longest Day is a great example of P2P fundraising, where the participant’s supporters are leveraged to raise money, increase awareness, and reach new networks of people for the cause. Using the Web portal, they create a central point to affect and control the social media messaging, and in so doing create a virtual community even though the participants are spread out geographically.

Today, 44 Million people worldwide live with dementia, with over 5 million of them Americans. Current predictions indicate that by 2030, 76 million people worldwide will suffer from dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is currently the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.